Intertwined Fates
by Court1410
Summary: When the Pevensies returned to Calormene, Edmund gets more than he has bargained for when he meets a beautiful and mysterious girl. Will she be able to save him from himself? Can she heal herself first? M for Lemons and dark themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**

**Chapter 1**

**Bound and Broken**

**Disclaimer: I own none of C.S. Lewis' original characters or anything of his world, only my original characters.**

**So recently I have been reading a lot of Edmund/OFC pairings and The Storyteller's Daughter, by Cameron Dokey, and both got me thinking. I mean, Edmund is such a great character. He has so much potential for angst and passion. So I hope you enjoy it! This takes place after HHB, and the Pevensies are back in Calormene because Susan is being courted by Rabadash's younger brother.**

**(FYI: Sariyah is pronounced Ser-eye-ah)**

**Edmund's POV**

"This weather truly is ghastly," Susan complained as she wiped her brow. I rolled my eyes at my sister's complaints. But that was Susan, always complaining. The colorful open market surrounded us as we strolled past cart after cart. I missed the carefree, safety found in my own kingdom, Narnia, but the chaos that ensued at the market made me feel lively, almost normal. Although in Narnia, we did not have to endure the stares our pale features and foreign clothing earned us here. The market provided me with a distraction from my innermost thoughts and the memories that would always haunt me. The market was my solace for the day; I could easily distract myself by watching women shaking out colorful rugs, men displaying baskets of dates and pomegranates, and a man with some sort of musical instrument and a monkey on his shoulder. The sight of the monkey almost brought a smile to my face, but then, Peter began to speak.

"Oh cheer up, Ed," Peter punched me playfully in the arm, causing me to wince. "The Tisroc always puts on a great show for us, especially since he is trying to woo Susan."

"Don't go reminding me!" Susan exclaimed at her nose crinkled at the mention of the Tisroc. "I don't know why we had to come here even though we all know what my answer to his bequest will be."

"Susan, you know we must at least entertain his bequest, if only for a week. We don't want another Rabadash." I replied. It was simple, if we did not at least come to Calormene to hear his bequest; the Tashbaan would invade Narnia and Archenland. Last time we were in Calormene, we almost did not escape. If it had not been for the heroic actions of Shasta, Bree, and Aravis, we would not have made it out alive. Now, Rabadash's younger brother was courting Susan, much to her dismay. At my words though, Susan nodded and took Peter's arm.

"We should at least enjoy ourselves while we are here!" Lucy shouted as she skipped up and down the beaten road, examining exotic animals and crafts. Peter and Susan were off examining a cart of bronze jewelry, much to Peter's distaste. I smirked and began examining a cart of fruit.

"Is there something I can help you with, Sire?" A heavy set man with deep lidded eyes asked. His fingertips brushed the hilt of his dagger, but the man made no move to take it out.

"You wouldn't happen to have an apple, would you?" I asked, scanning the cart.

"No Sire, we do not carry the fruits of lesser lands," the man said with a smirk. I stiffened and felt my hands curl into fists, but then, I saw a figure move stealthy out from the shadows. From beneath her cloak of black, a hand shot out and grabbed a pomegranate. The girl's grabbed another pomegranate and shoved in inside her robes, carefully keeping her hood drawn over her head. The man followed my eyes to where the girl stood, frozen with her hand holding a third fruit, halfway between the basket and her robe. Before she or I could move, the owner of the cart was upon her, clutching her wrist cruelly in his beefy hands. She was suddenly cowering on the dusty ground, the pomegranates rolling away from her, making her efforts fruitless. I quickly moved forward with my sword drawn.

"Release her at once," I ordered before I knew what had come over me. My blade was soon at his neck, and the man slowly released her arm from his grip. I took out three coins from my bag and set it on his cart.

"And you," I began as I turned away, but the girl was gone. I scanned the market for her, and spotted her dark colored robe. Everyone else was wearing light colors, and her black cloak was clearly visible though she had already gone fifty feet. "Wait," I shouted as I made my way through the crowded street. The girl moved through the crowd like smoke, swiftly and gracefully. She turned down countless alleyways and hopped over the aqueducts of the city.

Finally, she stopped at the end of an alley. I had her cornered. The girl turned up her face toward me and pulled off her hood, revealing her face. She was about my age, with skin the color of honey and the darkest ebony hair that almost had hints of blue in it. Her features were all dainty, like that of nobility. Her eyes were shielded by a thick halo of dark lashes. Beneath those dark curtains, her eyes shimmered like liquid gold, surrounded by a mossy green. Her chin jutted upwards defiantly and her hands were stiffly crossed. Her knuckles were pearly white and beneath her thick garb, her thin body trembled. Her feet were bare, and so small they looked like they belonged to a child.

"What is your name?" I asked as I carefully reached out toward her. She jumped back, away and closer to the wall. I slowly withdrew my hand. She made a sound almost like a whimper as she pressed herself closer to the wall.

"Sariyah," the girl explained. I repeated the girl's name, and it fell off my lips perfectly and smoothly. Suddenly, a noise from behind me caught my attention, causing me to draw my sword again, but it was just a dog. The dog scampered off behind a trash can, and I turned my attention back to the girl. Her hand were held high above her head, and in them, a clay flower pot.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused by her notion. A sharp crash sounded and next thing I knew, I was on the ground. My vision was slowly blurring at the edges; I fought desperately to keep my eyes open. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was my own sticky blood on my fingertips as I withdrew my hand away from the tender spot on my head.

"Edmund, wake up!" Lucy shouted as she shook me. I opened my eyes to find myself staring up at the quickly darkening sky. Above me, Susan and Lucy sat fretting, Susan was pressing a cool cloth to my forehead and Lucy was holding her cordial and looking concerned. I could hear the steady footsteps of Peter as he paced back and forth. The pain was dulling now, but the ache was awful.

"Here, set him up." Susan and Lucy slowly raised me so I was sitting up. The throbbing began again, but after a few gulps of air, it dulled again.

"Hurry, get him up. The feast will be starting soon, and Aslan knows what Prince Aamil will do if we are late," Peter said hastily. I chuckled at his nervousness.

"Of course, brother. I would not want to see one of his temper tantrums either," I replied. Although Aamil was a man of Twenty three, we had witnessed one of his temper tantrums, and it was not pretty. The man had taken his chair and flung it across the room with amazing strength. He had proceeded to withdraw his sword and slash all the paintings in the dining hall. The four of us could hardly contain our laughter. I slowly got to my feet, ignoring the dizziness it caused me. I draped my arms over Susan and Peter as they led me up the winding path and to the palace of the Tisroc.

"However did you get on the ground like that anyway, Ed? Lose a fight?" Peter said with a hearty laugh.

"Fell." I grunted with a frown. Peter continued to laugh at this, souring my mood further.

Finally, we made it to the Dining hall, and not a moment too soon. Aamil was frowning as he scanned the hall.

"Finally the Narnian kings arrive," He said with a smirk. "Sit, sit." We exchanged wary glances with Aamil's order, but proceeded to sit on the cushions near the Prince. "I expect your journey was good."

"We lost a horse in the desert, but other than that the journey was fine." Peter responded. Lucy gave a sigh and bowed her head solemnly. The horse had been killed by an attack on our caravan. Though we had searched extensively for the attacker, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Regrettable. Now, let the show begin!" Aamil clapped his hands, and at that, a tall, skinny man wearing a white tunic entered. Next to him was a stout and fat little man. They entered, their steps matching exactly. Their hands were held at their chests, and they smirked. Both were dressed in black tunics with a red sash across their chest. The taller one snapped his fingers, and a servant carried a heavy, brass bowl and set it on a table in front of the two magicians.

"Tonight, we have a special treat for all of you." The taller of the two began.

"Be prepared to witness a night of wonders," the shorter continued as a red scarf appeared with a flourish of his hand. He strode toward our table before twirling the scarf around Susan, making her wince. "One which you will never forget," he finished. My hands tightened into fists, and I could feel the vein on my neck straining. Aamil let out a chuckle with a look in our direction and clapped in approval, further angering me. I glanced over in Peter's direction and noticed his anger, although he had carefully concealed his. I took a deep breath and returned my gaze to the magicians. The stout one bowed with a flourish.

"Sokar, at your service, your majesties."

"Anubis, the pleasure is all mine," Anubis, the tall magician stated with a wink in the direction of Susan. I felt my jaw clench and I knew I was probably grinding my teeth. I heaved another breath of air to calm myself.

"Watch closely, as we show you mysteries that only we have been able to uncover." Sokar asked with another flourish. The two were really starting to annoy me.

"Mysteries, beyond your wildest dreams," Anubis said with a raised eyebrow in Aamil's direction. Aamil motioned for them to continue, and they did. Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash and fog engulfed the room. Next to me Lucy coughed and sputtered.

The fog began to clear slowly to reveal Anubis and Sokar holding onto a squirming and fighting figure, and I instantly recognized the girl from the alley, Sariyah. She was tightly bound in chains, and she glared around the room. I rubbed my head, remembering the injury she had caused me. There was another flash of light and a bang, and the chains that had surrounded her arms had disappeared. Now she was held only by a chain attached to her right foot. She stood quickly and began cursing in an unfamiliar language, while glaring at Aamil. He smirked back, and she spat in his direction, causing a hush to come over the room. Aamil stood up, angered, but then turned to our table, the smirk back in place.

"I would like to present this gift to the High King Peter of Narnia, in hopes that he will consider my offer," Aamil said, and with that, the girl was pushed toward our able. She was scantily dressed and her hands were tied together. Peter glanced around at all of us, and I couldn't help but to snicker at the look of horror and shock on his face. Susan was carefully avoiding anyone's gaze, for fear Aamil might notice her more. Lucy watched the magicians warily, and whispered to me, "Aslan would not approve." I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for you generous gift, but I believe my brother, King Edmund, will get more out of this, er-" Peter began ,with a wink in my direction.

The thought of Sariyah, with her golden green eyes, staring up at me, her hands bound, cause my pants to grow a bit tighter. I gripped the side of the table to steady myself, to make it stop, but it only grew. I hastily searched for something to say in response, but I had nothing. With that, the magicians sent for servants who hastily led the girl up to my chambers, leaving me with a large predicament.

I hope you liked it! Please review so I know how you feel. Next chapter should be up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Deviance and Deliverance

**WARNING: This chapter will be pretty graphic and dark. If you don't like, you should probably skip past that part. **

**If you haven't already noticed, this story is going to be quite a bit darker than my other story, but I hope you like it.**

**This story has been inspired by a lot of different things all jumbled together, but as I sit here writing this, I am listening to the soundtrack of The Prince of Egypt. I recommend you watch it is you haven't seen it already, or watch it again if it has been a long time! It really is a great movie, with an amazing soundtrack!**

**Thank you to Pendragon2601 for being my first reviewer! I hope you stick with the story!**

Sariyah's POV

Rough calloused hands pushed me up the stairs and into the dark rooms of a chamber. Suddenly, I was tightly bound to a chair.

"That should do it," one of the men said. He was tall and burly, with huge muscles. "I will be out in a few minutes."

"See you in a few Shar,"

Shar raised an eyebrow at me and smiled. He was probably trying to go for something seductive, but it only came across as creepy and a bit alarming. Suddenly, his rough hand was on my cheek, stoking it as he looked down at me.

"Hello, sweets," he said in a deep, rumbling voice. I stiffened and glanced around the room for some escape, but I knew there was nothing I could do now but endure whatever was about to happen. I glared down at the scanty clothing the magicians had dressed me in and cursed the gods for giving me a good figure. Shar was already staring me up and down hungrily, perhaps wondering where to begin.

"Why don't you put on a little show for me, just like I know you will for that little king of yours," Shar said as he moved in closer. He gripped my jaw tightly and forced my lips up to his. I clenched my lips tightly together; I would not have his taste in my mouth. His hands began to wander up and down my body, touching me in places no one had touched me before, but it was not a good feeling. He roughly squeezed my breasts as he continued to try to force his tongue into my mouth. He smelled of stale alcohol and meats, making me gag. His mouth found its way to my neck as I squirmed violently in the ropes.

"Someone sounds impatient to get started," Shar whispered darkly as he fingered my top, which only barely covered my breasts. "Why don't we change the arrangements up?" Shar untied the rope that bound me to the chair and pushed me to the floor, so that I was kneeling down before him. Suddenly, his pants were down and I quickly shut my eyes tight, but the damage was done. I had seen.

"Taste me," he whispered as he hovered over me, but I kept my eyes tightly shut. If I refuse to look, I cannot do what he asks me to do. His stench was overpowering, but I tried to ignore it. Just breathe through your nose, don't open your mouth. If you keep your mouth shut, you will be okay. He cannot force you to do this, although there are other thing he can do, at least you can stop this part. Suddenly, I felt his fist contact my cheek, forcing my head back. I felt my cheek and found it to be tender and sore.

"I see that you want to skip that part. That's alright, we will save the best for last," Shar answered as he pushed me back. My head hit the cold stone floor and I felt the bruise already forming. I was suddenly delirious. Before I could so much as move, Shar had my hands tied to the chair above my head and he was hovering over me. He began to tear off my clothes, leaving me exposed before him.

"Help me!" I screamed, but it was too late. I knew anyone who could do something would be down at the feast. I winced as I felt a piece of cloth shoved into my mouth as a gag. Now there was nothing I could do but shut my eyes and hope it ended quickly. A loud crash sounded and light flooded in from the outside corridor.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" A voice shouted. I detected a hint of boyishness in it, and silently thanked the gods for whoever it was. Shar was off me in a heartbeat and began backing toward the windows. I could see the figure that had saved me walk toward Shar with his sword drawn, but the sword was strangely shaped. This must be the king of Narnia that I had been given to. He looked quite menacing with his sword drawn as he approached Shar. Shar was now backed against the window and I relished the thought of my savior striking him with his sword. Shar glanced behind him and with a loud sound, I was cowering again. The window was broken and the pieces lay on the floor, glittering like little diamonds. I peeked between my hands and saw the king, standing with his back to me, glaring out the window. I could tell he was fuming and prayed he wouldn't turn on me with his sword. He turned and I curled back into a ball, hoping he would not remember me and would just leave the chambers, leaving me in solace. I heard his soft footsteps walking away from me, but I didn't dare peek. The footsteps returned, and then I felt him kneel down beside me. His warm hand found mine, and he began to rub my back softly. I began to slowly relax, mesmerized by the feel of his slightly calloused hands on my soft, smooth back. I cannot remember how long we just sat there, but his presence soothed me. It was late when I finally broke down, the tears that had been threatening to overflow since earlier in the day, when I had been captured by the Calormene guards. My tears ran thickly down my face, erasing the kohl the magicians had drawn around my eyes. The king stroked my hair and my back as I lay on my stomach and my body racked with silent sobs.

"It's alright Sariyah," the king said soothingly. My sobs stopped and I turned to face him.

"You know my name," I responded accusingly. The king gave a hearty chuckle and continued to stroke my hair.

"Well, we did meet earlier today," he answered as he pointed to his head. There was a cut and a great bruise surrounding it. My brain whirled as I pieced the two together.

"You were the foreigner, at the market!" I exclaimed. I suddenly looked down and realized that I was completely naked. I hurried to cover myself, but there was nothing in sight.

"Here," the king said as he grabbed a blanket from his bed. It was silk and finer than anything I had felt in years. I wrapped it around me and realized that I had been shivering. I sat there for a while, wondering why the tears did not come again.

"I could have handled it myself at the market you know,"

"I'm sure you had it sorted," the king replied with a roll of his eyes. He really was quite handsome, with his brooding grey eyes and his dark hair. He wore a very solemn expression and I suddenly realized he had yet to smile. "By the way, what was that for?" he asked, indicating again to the injury on his head.

"I was on the run," I explained and turned away from him again, hoping he wouldn't inquire further, but as I knew well, I was not that lucky.

"Why were you running?" the king asked curiously.

"You know, curiosity-" I began to reprimand him, but he interrupted.

"killed the cat. My mother used to say that. Now, tell me why you were running."

"Why should I tell you anything? You are a complete stranger. I don't even know your name." I shouted. I knew I was probably wrong to do this, but I couldn't tell him. I knew if I did, he would just turn me away like everyone else had.

"A complete stranger who just saved your life." He stated, no doubt infuriated by my comment. I knew I should apologize, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "It's Edmund."

"I was running from the guards because they believe me to be cursed," I explained curtly, hoping he would just leave it at that so we could both get some sleep, but unfortunately, this was not the case.

"Cursed? But that is absurd!" Edmund exclaimed as he stood up and paced back and forth. He glanced down at me and I bit my lip and looked away. "It isn't true is it?"

"Yes, it is true." Edmund stared into my eyes for a moment before laughing loudly.

"Come on now, cursed? What did you disrespect the Tisroc?" Edmund asked with a chuckle.

"This is serious!" I shouted, taken aback by his joking manner.

"Did you disrespect you father? Did he curse you?" Edmund joked again.

"I am the last of my kind! I watched my people die! I watched the genocide, I watched as they were killed before me by Calormene soldiers. I watched my mother and sisters get raped by the men. I watched my father and uncles murdered. So don't you ever joke about matters such as these," I shouted. I was suddenly up in Edmunds face, the covers now around my ankles and I poked him in the chest. Edmund looked frightened by my show of anger, satisfying me more. He glanced down and I suddenly realized that I was exposed again. Edmund bent down to pick up the blanket just as I went to do the same. Our heads collided, forcing us both to the ground again. Edmund handed me the blanket and I wrapped it snugly around my body again.

"Sariyah, I am sorry. I didn't know that it was such a serious matter." Edmund apologized.

"Well now you do!" I snapped. His hurt expression caused me to reach out and touch his cheek. "I am sorry. Would you like to hear the story of my people?" Edmund nodded solemnly and waited for me to begin.

"My people traveled through all the lands, never staying in a single place, but always moving. We lived in colorful tents and wagons. My people lived like one big family, always ending our meal with a story. We were storytellers. Every night it was something different, whether it was a legend, or a fairy tale. We lived off of the land and gave back to it accordingly. Where we found an oasis for drinking water, we planted fruits. When we killed an animal for food, we only killed males. We used the fur for clothing and did not waste a single part of the being. We had not trails, no roads to follow. We followed the stars. There were no leaders; every man and woman was equal. While the women had many more jobs than the man, her husband worshipped the ground she walked on. He valued her every breath and heartbeat. I always wanted that as a child, until I found out that I was different. It was my grandmother that told me.

"One day, I was sitting by a creek with her. It was a land with a cool temperature. There were many plants that I learned were called trees. In some places, they even block out the sun! My grandmother asked me to tell her a story. I was only four and I had never told anyone a story. So I sat back and closed my eyes, trying to remember a story to tell her. I couldn't think of any, so I decided to make up a story. I asked her if I should borrow the scarf she was wearing and she handed it over. I began to feel the woolen cloth, feeling every bit of wool. I knew my grand =mother had knitted it herself and I felt the love she had sewn into it, but it did not truly belong to her, it was meant to be a gift. So, I began to tell her a story, a story of a man and a woman. The man was made of the moon and the woman of the stars. One day, while in the night sky, they met. Immediately the man and woman knew that they both completed each other, they knew that they were meant to be together forever. With that, they fell in love. But, one day, the moon was gone. The stars were left alone and lonely, and the Earth below was darkened greatly.

"When I finished my story, I looked back at my grandma. She was crying and staring at me with disbelief. She looked at me and responded, 'I used to call your Grandfather the moon of my night sky.' I tried to give the woolen scarf back to my grandma, but she refused to take it. 'Keep this and always remember your gift. You are a great storyteller, for most storytellers can tell a story, but it is not the truth. It is only a fair few that can find the truth in a story.'

"So my people began to have me tell the night's story. For every night after the day I told my first story, I told a story to my people. Sometimes, the story was finished in a night. Sometimes the story stretched on over more than one night, but my stories always left my people in awe."

"When I was fourteen, I was alone with my grandma again. This time, it was because she was on her deathbed. She pulled me close and whispered one thing in my ear. She told me, 'You are not meant for any of the men here. When you meet a man that you must heal, you will know why you were given a gift.' My parents never allowed any of the men to court me, so I was fairly lonely. I spent most of my years with my sisters and brothers. I had four sisters and three brothers. We were a big family, but we were all very close.

"One day when I was fourteen, I was out fetching some water. In the distance, I saw a cloud of dust, but assuming it was just a few dingoes, I ignored it and continued to fetch water, occasionally taking a sip of the cool water myself. I heard a scream come from the direction of camp and I dropped the clay pitcher I had been using to fetch water. It fell into the waterhole, and I waded in after it. After I had retrieved the clay pitcher, I filled it once again with water. I turned back to our camp and saw black smoke coming from one of the tents. More screams erupted and I backed slowly away. I hid behind a bush next to the waterhole and scanned the camp for my family, silently praying that they were safe.

"I watched as they first gathered everyone. They searched tents and wagons for valuable and then set them afire. The sun was nearly blocked off with all the smoke. All the men and boys were gathered together. The women and girls were separated. The men at boys were tied to stakes and burned. The repulsive stench filled the air and reached me at my hiding spot. I watched as my father and brothers were burned, screaming and kicking. After the women were forced to watch their husbands and sons burned, the soldiers turned to them. Their clothes were ripped from their bodies and they were forced to the ground. Even my littlest sister, who was only seven years old, was raped. Their screams still haunt me in my sleep. I wish that the gods had chosen another, I was forced to watch, to endure with them though I suffered no physical pain. I wandered the desert, following the trails left behind by the soldier's horses. Finally, I came here, thinking I would find refuge. Well, I was wrong. A couple took me in and after hearing my story, sold me for ransom to the Tisroc. After that, I became a dancer for the court. I tried to escape, and that is where I met you." I took a deep breath and peeked over at Edmund. He seemed shocked at my story, but took my hand in his. He led me to his bed and tucked me in.

"You are not cursed. Never let anyone tell you so," Edmund grabbed a pillow and lay down on the floor near the bed, leaving me to my thoughts and pondering his final words.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Reverence and Revenge**

**Hey everyone! I have been pretty busy lately, with exams and a week-long school trip to Singapore, but I am back now! This chapter is kind of more of a transition chapter, but it will get better in the next chapters! I promise! (:**

The beating sun wore down on me as I sat on the back of Edmund's horse, tightly gripping him around the middle for fear I would fall off. His horse was a tall and powerful white stallion and I feared his hoofs could easily crush me. Edmund's warmth comforted me; his body kept me steady, gave me something to tether me to the earth, to keep me from my nightmares. Last night I had woken up in a cold sweat, flashes of my family killed and the man, tearing my clothes, sweating over me, touching me. I was screaming and thrashing, trying to wake up, to pull myself out of the horrible dream. I gripped Edmund a little tighter causing him to chuckle slightly.

"Edmund, when will we be in Narnia?" I whispered timidly.

"It is an eight day journey to Narnia. Five days to pass through the desert and three through Archenland."

"You think you have it bad? I haven't worked this hard since the war! Besides, the oats have run out," Phillip grumbled from below. I gave a start and almost fell off the horse. I had heard rumors of talking animals, but I never once thought they were true! Phillip whinnied and went back to trotting along the sand, ignoring Edmund's laughter at my surprise.

We crossed rolling sand dune after sand dune. Once, there was a sand storm and I was almost thankful that Susan had given me a few gowns to borrow, but then I remembered the freedom the garb of me people allowed me. The sky was a beautiful blue and despite the amount of water our horses carried, I longed for fresh water. Every few minutes I scanned the sky for clouds but to no avail. Finally, on the fourth day of our travels, we found a desert oasis. After setting up tents and starting a fire, we all sat around the fire. I was next to Edmund, shivering from the cool desert air. It was colder than I had expected it to be tonight, and soon all the warmth that the sand had held was gone.

"Will you tell us a story, Sariyah?" Edmund asked. The Narnians all looked toward me expectantly. I closed my eyes, trying to fight back the memories, the pain, when Edmund's hand found mine. He gave it a tight squeeze and I closed my eyes again, searching this time for a story.

"On a cold dark evening, a man left his sickened wife in search for food because their land was in a great famine. He searched alleys and outside homes, but he found not a single crumb. So, working up all the courage he could muster, he approached the house of a clergy. The man knocked on the door three times, and upon the third knock the clergy opened the door with a scowl on his face. The clergy asked what such a lowly peasant could want and in reply the man asked for a single slice of bread to feed his wife, who was ill. The clergy turned up his nose and told the man that bread would not come to sinners, but only those who were righteous. The man cried out that he was a good man and that he was only trying to take care of his wife, when the door slammed shut on him. The man sat outside the door, crazed at the thought of his wife starving. He knocked on the door again and again it was opened to reveal the clergy. In his right hand he held a loaf of rich, warm bread. The man fell onto the ground, thanking the clergy for his kindness, when the clergy began to laugh mirthlessly. Enraged, the man grasped the man's neck and watched as the life drained from the clergy's face. Before he could so much as grab the bread, the clergy's servants were upon him.

"The man fled for his life, knowing he would be killed for his actions. He felt a great remorse, for he had never before killed another man. Finally, he had to rest and the man found himself at the kitchen door of a great noble. Thinking that someone so rich and well off as a noble would surely have food to spare, he knocked on the door. To his surprise, it was not a servant that opened the door, but the nobleman himself. Once again, the man requested a single slice of bread. The nobleman denied bread and the man began to protest. He began to resort to begging, desperately kissing the nobleman's boots and tugging at his tunic. Finally, the nobleman could tolerate this no more and began to shut the door. Desperate and willing to do anything for a slice of bread, the man stuck his foot in the door, flinging it open. There on the table was a greasy feast of all sorts of roasted poultry, from game birds to venison. Steam rose from plates of cooked vegetables. Golden rolls sat on a platter where they gleamed against the silver plate. The man, seeing this feast, pleaded once more, asking only for one roll. Disgusted, the nobleman pushed the man away from the table, knocking him to the floor. With a look of disgust, the nobleman turned and began to strut out of the room. Once again furious, the man grabbed a knife from the feast and threw it at the nobleman. The knife caught him in the back, leaving him bleeding to his death on the floor. Before he took his last breath the nobleman called his dogs and set them on the man, forcing him to leave without a single roll.

"After quite a bit of running, the man reached the house of merchant. Seeing guards searching Alleys and houses, the man knocked on the door, seeking refuge. Upon seeing the guards, the merchant denied the man a place in his house. The man pleaded with the merchant, causing suspicion to arise in the merchant's eyes. He began to call for the guards when the man slit his throat, but it was too late. 

"Guards seized him and immediately sentenced him to death. Finally realizing the extent of his sins, the man began to cry out, remorseful for his actions. That night, two of the guards brought him to the hanging tree to be hung above the road leading into the village, warning visitors of the consequences of crimes. The guards tied the noose and listened to the man's pitiful cries. Soon, he calmed a bit, but only enough to begin talking to himself. He began to call out for his wife. He called for her to meet him by the hanging tree at midnight, to flee. He pleaded with his wife that he could only see, asking her to join him, to be beside him so they could both be free. After hearing this, the guards stood back and both watched and the man stepped up to the noose of his own accord before taking the final step off of his perch in the tree, his last, hopeful smile still etched on his face at the thought of his wife. His arms were still outstretched as if to welcome his wife. The guards, feeling unnerved, left hastily, both reluctant to see the man die and jealous to see the man's love for his wife."

When the story was over, the entire camp was silent. Suddenly, a centaur began to sing out a soft and haunting tune. Others began to join in until every Narnian sang the wordless melody. Goosebumps covered my arms, chilling me to my bones. I turned to Edmund who was watching me and I knew that he understood the truth of my story. He knew it was not about the man's crimes. It was not about the three men he had murdered; it was about the man's love for his wife. He had committed crimes for his wife's sake. Even in his last breath he pleaded for her to join him, so that they could be free together. The song finally ended and I knew the Narnian's realized the depth of my story. They all looked toward me kindly, each thanking me for the story. That night, I slept without nightmares.

Every night after that, I told them a story. My stories brought tears to the Narnian's eyes, but they never again lifted their voices up in song. The rest of the journey passed quickly after that. Archenland was a beautiful woodland full of animals, but none of them talked like the talking animals of Narnia. Finally, on the morning of the eighth day, we reached Cair Paravel. It was magnificent with its marble walls and towers. The courtyard was paved with smooth white stones. To one side of the courtyard was a garden with flowers of all types. Fruit trees grew in the garden, their trunks covered in vines. The wall next to the garden was covered in ivy, enclosing the garden completely in nature. Before I could explore, Edmund took my elbow and led me inside the great doors. Inside, it was just as magnificent. It was almost as bright as outside, unlike the dark corridors in Calormene. Tapestries and paintings lined the walls, some of a great battle, some of the Pevensies as children, and the most majestic being of a great lion. It reminded me off a story I had heard long ago, of a lion, fierce but kind. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind when suddenly a girl my age came running towards us.

"Edmund, I missed you so much!" She cried as she hugged him. Edmund looked a bit uncomfortable but stroked the girl's golden curls. When the girl looked up, there was no doubting she was beautiful, with her icy blue eyes and golden curls that reached the middle of her back. She was slender and well dressed in a light blue gown that matched her eyes. She was pale, but her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She began to babble as Edmund took her hand. Confused by this turn of events, I followed them into the main hall. Edmund stopped her for just long enough to introduce me.

"Carey, this is Sariyah, she will be staying in the palace as a royal guest," Edmund told Carey. She was beautiful, but in a very cold way; everything about her was ice and snow. "Sairyah, this is Lady Carey."

Carey gazed at me before turning back to Edmund and whispering something in his ear. He nodded and took my hand, giving it a squeeze before leaving. Carey looked at me calculatingly before leading me up the stairs.

"This must be a big change for you, coming from a place like Calormene to Narnia." I shrugged.

"It is all so lovely, but everyone has been so kind, especially Edmund." At this, Lady Carey stiffened, but continued to lead me through corridors and upstairs.

"That's Edmund for you, always giving. Did he tell you how we met?" I wondered why he would have mentioned something so trivial, but just shook my head in reply. "I had been going for a ride in Archenland, my homeland, when I found myself upon three men, asking me for directions to the nearest town so they might find an inn for dinner. I told them I had come from my house and if they could find it, then the servants would be able to point them in the right direction. Before I could ride off, I was grabbed from my horse and knocked out. When I awoke days later, my gown was tattered and I was covered in dirty and sweat. My head was pounding and I couldn't see a thing for they had blindfolded me. We traveled by horse, I was tied to the horse and forced to walk while my kidnappers. My feet were freezing because the ground was frozen, but luckily there were only a few patches of snow. Once, I heard a sound so familiar to me, that I nearly went mad at the sound. It was my brother; he uttered a moan one day when we finally stopped walking. I called out to him and was surprised to hear him call back to me. I cried out, thinking I was going mad, but he was always there, day after day. One day, he told me what I had been dreading, he told me of our parent's deaths. The kidnappers had brought me to my house and as soon as they had lured my parents out, they killed them. My brother was kidnapped along with me.

"Finally, one day we were sitting by the fire, warming our frost bitten feet. I was exhausted and I knew I would not last much longer. Suddenly, we heard the sound of hooves. Next thing we knew, Edmund had rescued us both and brought us back here, to Cair Paravel. We have been here for a little over a year, and we are finally healed and settling in." I just stared at her, a tad perplexed. Edmund had distinctly told me in Archenland that they planned this trip to take place in spring because he never rode in the forest during winter. He said it pained him too much. "Is it not lucky Edmund was there?"

"It is lucky Edmund decided to ride in the forest that day, I was told he only rides on the beach during the winter," I say as indifferently as possible, but something about Carey's story bothered me. Carey glared at me, but then stops at a door. The door is opened and I cross the threshold, taking in the large room around me. The bed is huge, big enough for two people. I touch the quilt, amazed by its warmth and softness. There is a great wardrobe already filled with dresses that look like they might fit me. I turned back to close the door, but Carey was still there.

"Dinner is in two hours, you are expected to meet Narnian standards. Edmund will come bring you to dinner." I turned away to go explore my room further, but I found Carey directly behind me. "stay away from Edmund."

With that I was finally alone, left to ponder her words. I stripped off the borrowed gown and slid into a tub already filled with warm water. I wondered how it had gotten there, but ignored that and everything that had happened today and just enjoyed the warm water. I felt the years of dirt and grime was away along with all my horrible nightmares. Here, my curse was a gift. They wanted to hear my stories; they wanted to be around me. I only wondered how long it would be until they began to run away from me like they had in Calormene.

I was just getting out of my bath when a girl with a slight green tinge entered my room. It was not a sickly green color, but green like the spring. Her cheeks were rosy like there were two flowers decorating her cheeks. Her hair was brown like freshly turned earth. I realized she must be a nymph. She waltzed in gracefully, her limber limbs picking up a perfume here or touching my hair.

"My name is Clove and I am here to get you ready," She said as she brushed my long dark hair back. She continued to brush my hair and dry it, complementing me constantly. She took the top of my hair and braided it into a halo around my head. When she was finally done with my hair, it looked beautiful. I made my way to the closet, where Clove was already sifting through gowns. Finally, she pulled out an emerald colored gown of silk trimmed in gold. I tried it on and after a few adjustments on Clove's part, it fit perfectly.

"Thank you Clove," I thanked her over and over again, insisting that I loved my hair and the gown.

"Emerald is my favorite color," Clove admitted before flitting off, leaving me waiting for Edmund. I lay back on the bed, relaxing and enjoying the solace. The warm quit engulfed me, lulling me to sleep. When I awoke, Edmund was there, softly nudging me awake. I jumped but took his arm as he led me down the stairs.

"How was Carey?" At my expression of distaste, Edmund laughed heartily. "She tends to talk one's ear off."

"She was pleasant enough," I lied through gritted teeth, hoping Edmund would not catch me. He did not, or if he had noticed, he chose to ignore it.

"How do you like the room? I picked it out especially." Edmund replied. "It has a great view of the ocean and it is close to the Royal Chambers." So that explained Carey's jealousy. My room was closer to Edmund's that hers.

"It is so lovely! I have never had anything so fine before." I thanked him for everything, for my rescue, for the room, for treating me so well. When we reached the doors to the great hall, I reached up and kissed Edmund on the cheek in thanks. Behind Edmund's shoulder, I spotted Carey who was glaring at me fervently. I smiled sweetly at her, but secretly I relished at the thought of her anger. Edmund led me to a seat at the royal table. Seated around the table were the four Pevensies, Peter at the head of one side of the table, Edmund at the other. To Peter's right was Susan, and on Edmund's right Lucy sat. Next to Lucy was a tall, handsome man talking animatedly to her. I sat next to him, which brought me to Peter's left side. Carey was across from the handsome man, but I could feel her glares on my face as I took my seat. On Edmund's left there was Mr. Tumnus, a merry faun I had met on the journey. Mr. Tumnus smiled at me before turning back toward Lucy. The envy in his eyes was apparent as he attempted to divert Lucy's attention away from the man. The handsome man turned toward me, and seeing my eyes on him, he introduced himself.

"My name is Darius; I am Lady Carey's brother, Duke of Malden." He explained with a charming smile. He continued to ask me questions about Calormene and my life before. He seemed genuinely interested as he listened intently as I told him about Calormene landscape and lifestyle. I was starting to like him despite the fact that he is Carey's brother when his hand found its way to my thigh. He began rubbing my thigh and I pushed his hand away under the table. He continued to bring his hand back to my thigh and I was about to push his hand away again when I saw Carey throw me a smirk. We were starting to look suspicious, so I took my hands out from under the table and began to eat small bites from my plate. Darius continued to rub my thigh before finally stopping, looking satisfied. Then, before I could so much as protest, Darius dropped his fork and dove down to retrieve it. He settled back down in his seat, but not before pulling my dress up, giving himself full access to my legs. I pulled my chair in closer to the table, hoping he would not do anything, but his hands still rubbed my thighs, his hands reaching higher and higher daringly. I put my fork down, no longer able to eat in my disgust.

Finally, with a scared look in Peter's direction, Peter announced he would like to dance with me. I pushed Darius' hand off and tugged my dress back down before rising to my feet. Darius looked almost as mad as his sister, making me cheer up a bit. Peter motioned for music and placed his hands politely on my waist. We began to dance and Peter gave me a friendly smile.

"Thank you," I told him. I was truly grateful for Peter's quick thinking.

"Don't worry, no one else noticed," Peter consoled me. I sighed appreciatively and began to smile as I danced. Peter was a great dancer, and his comments about Carey and Darius made me grin and enjoy myself. Soon, the others were joining in, Lucy with Darius, much to Peter's dismay. Peter apologized for ending our dance, but stalked over and began to dance with Lucy. Lucy frowned slightly, but not for long. Soon, she was enjoying herself again. Darius began dancing with his sister, Carey, leaving Edmund and I alone at the table. We smiled at each other and continued to watch the dancing, laughing occasionally at the noise Mr. Tumnus was making with each step.

The dancing ended and everyone began to disperse to their rooms. I followed the path up to my room through winding staircases and torch lit hallways until I finally found my corridor. I opened the door and found myself looking in on Carey and Edmund, sitting in the plush love seat of a library, kissing.

I fled from the room, disturbed by what I had seen. My reaction was strange, seeing as I had only known Edmund for less than ten days, but already I was attached to him. He had saved my life and was now providing me with everything I had ever dreamed of. Then seeing him with her made me want to scream or to rip my hair out. Tears began cascading down my face and I wiped them away angrily. My reaction unnerved me. I wandered the corridors until I finally found my room. I flung open the door and crawled into bed, pulling the covers tightly around my body, trying to warm the cold that seemed to flood all of Cair Paravel. As unnerving as my reaction was, I knew it was because I loved Edmund. He was the only thing that tethered me to the earth, the only thing that kept me from falling apart. Carey would never let us even be friends. I closed my eyes tight to try and rid myself of the image, but it was impossible. I finally fell into a fitful sleep. In my nightmares, Carey chased me away, calling me cursed. After chasing me away, she turned into a black widow and stood over Edmund. Fangs sprouted from her mouth as she kneeled over Edmund's neck, biting him and injecting her venom into his sleeping form. I called out, trying to get him to wake up, but he was paralyzed. I watched as his body was drained of life, leaving me alone in the room with his lifeless corpse. Carey appeared again and glared at me before saying, "What have you done? Edmund is dead! You have cursed us all!"

I woke up screaming in a cold sweat, my heart pounding. I shivered and pulled the blanket closer to me, slowly relaxing. "It was all just a dream," I repeated over and over to myself.

**I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!**


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